Loading and unloading apparatus.



E. A. SWIFT.

LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED APE.10, 1911.

Patented July 16, 1912.

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I Since/who's E. A. SWIFT.

LOADING 'AND UNLOADING APPARATUS.

APPLIQATION FILED APR. 10, 1911.

Patented July {6; 1912. ,7

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ATENT carton.

Specification of Letters Patent. 'a uc udn an Ap il 10,1911. Serial in. 620,158.

Patented July 16, 1912.

-To'all whom it may concern:

I Be it known that I Euwann A. SWIFT, a citizen of the United tates of America, and

' .a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington,

haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Loading and Unloading Apparatus, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to apparatus for loading or unloading vessels and it has for its primary object the provision of a novel construction and arrangement of parts through the medium of which the operations A further object resides in the provision 'of one or more adjustable approaches proi jecting from the sides of the paths of travel I of the elevators and providing the temporary support for the materialor freight in being hauled between the ship and the Wharf.

Other objects will be set forth as my description progresses, and those features of construction, arrangements and combinations of parts on which I desire protection, succinctly defined in my annexed claims:

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross scctioxnof a hull of a ship equipped with my loading-and unloading apparatus, portions thereof being broken away.'- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary Ion-- gitudinalsecticn thereof with portions removed, and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of the apparatus;

4 In carryingout my invention I provide cars 1 andh2 supported for vertical incovoment in suitable shafts, which as now considered extend down into the holdnf the ship: hull and comprise essentially verti- 4 cal track members 3which are connected at their upper end, portions with suitable cross -bars f4 extending between the upright members 5, which latter sup ort suitable apvpreaches 6 for vertical ad ustment, as herematter more clearly set forth.

Reference numerals 7 and 8 indicate endless cables connected with elevators 1 and 2 respectively and with respective operating drums. as 10, through the medium of which 55 the elevator cars canbe raised and lowered.

Cable 7 are over suitable idlers or of loading and unloading can be carried ,on'

7 7 "disposed at the opposite end portions of the elevator shaft, and cable 8 is engaged with similar idlers 8, 8". Cables 7 and 8 are given a number of turns on their drums 6O 10 to thereby obtain the desired frictional engagement therewith, and in operation, the cable will therefore pay out from one-side as drawn in from the other, as will be readily understood. Reference numeral 11 indicates a motor, as for example, a reversible electric motor, with which a drive shaft 12 for the drums 10 is connec'thd.

Drums 10, one of which is fixed to shaft 7( 12 and the other to an adjacent shaft-12, are releasably connected by a suitable clutch,

13 whose movable clutch part '13 is splined to shaft 12 for movementinto and out of engagement with the cooperating fixed clutch part on shaft 12. Through the pro vision of clutch 13, shafts 12 and 12 can be driven simultaneously, or shaft 12 can be driven alone. This is an important feature of,. my invention inasmuch 'as I am 3 thereby enabled to set the cars 1 and 2 fora ldngeror shorter'travel.

It will; here be explained that the cars l and 2 are-substantially equal in weight, so as to balancaone another, and that the cables 5 7 and 8 ate wound on their drums 10, one in a reverse manner to the other so that with clutch 13 engagedpower applied to shaft 12 operates the'cars simultaneously in opposite directions.

Approaches 6, 'w ichare slidably sag orted on upright me bets 5 are raise and lowered through the medium of suitable lines 14, passin'g over sheaves 15 and having their free end portions engaged with 15 cleats 16. Approaches 6 are rovided at their. outer and portions with inged sections 6, which latter are preferably provided with rollers- 6." for en agement with the wharf, and secured by exible connections 17 against lowering movement.

i Flexible connections '17 are conveniently in the form of chains and the links thereof are engaged with one or another of sultable ins or books 18 provided on upright members 5,*aa shown. In operation, one or the other of the pproachea 6, this dependmg on the particulhr side of the ship which faces the wharf, is adjusted so as. to be positioned substan- 110 tially as shown in Fig. 1 with its hinged outer section 6' resting on the wharf and held by the flexible connection 17 to be thereby held against lowering movement upon listing of the ship. In thus holding the approach section 6, all danger of its catching on the wharf and being wrenched or otherwise damaged upon the ship righting itself, is obviated, With the approach adjusted, motor ll is operated to drive cars 1 and 2 until car 1 is, at the lower limit of its movement. Clutch 13 is now released or operated to disconnect shaft 12 after which motor 11 can be operated to move car *2 to the level of approach 6, and the clutch 'then engaged to connectpthe shafts 12 and thereby providing spaces for reception of freight. This object. of distributing the weight of the cargo is. further carried out through the provision of the releasable driving connection or clutch 13, which latter enables car 2 being lowered and left so when! this patent may be obtained for m cents each, by addres ng the Commissioners! Patents during the final part of the loading operation, at which time car 1 is operated alone and the cargo lowered thereby placed on and about the car 2 and in its shaft. Cars 1 and 2 can be of any suitable 0011-, struction, I prefer however, to provide the same with elongatedshoes or track engag' ing parts 20. Similar shoes or engaging parts, as 21, are also provided for the approaches 6, as shown.

" Various changes can be made in the minor details of construction without departin from thespirit of my invention as define in my annexed claims, and further, it is to be understood that my loading and unloading apparatus is not limited in application to vessels,'as it-is equally adaptable for arrangement on docks or scows.

-Having thus described my invention what I claim -as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of Amer- 1ca,-1s:

1. In apparatus of, the character described, two .cars, means supporting said carsfor vertical movement, a vertically adjustable approach common to said cars, means for simultaneously operating said cars in relatively opposite directions, and a releasable connection between one of said cars and said operating means, whereby the other of said cars can be operated independently.

g 2. In apparatus. of thelcharacter de"; scribed, two, cars, means supporting said 5 cars for vertieal movement, an approach arranged at the side of the path of said cars,

means for adjustingsaid approach vertically, means for operating-said cars simultaneously 1n relatively opposite directions including a pair of drums and cables en gaged with said drums and each connected with a respective car, means for operating said drums simulaneously, and a releasable connection between said drums.

4:. In apparatus of the character described, two cars, means supporting said cars for vertical movement, operating means for said cars'connecting the same for lowering of one car simultaneously with the elevating of the other, and an approach sup ported at the side of the path of said cars for vertical adjustment.

,5. In apparatus 'of the character described, in combination with a float, two cars extending transversely, of said float and arranged side by side lengthwise of said float, means supporting said cars for vertical movement, means for operating said cars, and vertically adjustable ap proaches on said float on opposite sides of said cars.

6. In apparatus of the character described, in combination with a fioat, two

cars arranged side by side lengthwise of.

said float, means supporting said cars for vertical movement, means for operatm said cars, approaches on opposite sides of said cars, swingingly mounted outer sec, tions for said approaches pro ecting beyond.

the adjacent sides of. said float, and means for securing said outer sections of the approaches against downward movementi' 7, In apparatus of the character described, in combination with a float, a car,-

path of said car, means for adjustingsaid approach. r

Signed at Seattle, Washington this 28 .day of March 1911.

STEPHEN A. BsooKs, ARLITA ADAMS.

Washington, D. O." 

